Anar Patel ‘pulled out’, but her works exhibited at auction

IT entrepreneur Ruzan Khambatta at the art auction in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Express

Ahmedabad |
Published on:July 15, 2014 4:12 am

By: AJAY KUMAR MISHRA & POOJA CHOKSHI

The artworks of Anar Patel, daughter of Chief Minister Anandi Patel, was exhibited and sold at a high-profile art auction in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Interestingly, Anar had denied being part of the show and claimed to have pulled out her artwork. The auction, featuring the works of several leading artists and celebrities from Ahmedabad, evoked a mixed response after only about 50 per cent of the 49 artworks got sold at the auction.

The event had begun last week with a controversy as Anar Patel and Archana Verma, wife of IGP Satish Verma, who were slated to share the stage, along with other organisers, pulled out at the last minute. The proceeds from the charity auction were initially supposed to go to Archana Verma’s NGO Swayam, which works for the underprivileged children, but the organisers later backtracked and announced that another NGO will be sought.

“We are forming a special committee and we will see that the money gathered from this auction goes to the poor and needy children for their extracurricular activities, education and hobbies. It is not necessary that we will give it only to an NGO. Our special committee will decide it later,” said Anurita Rathore, organiser and curator of the show that ended on Sunday.

On being asked about Anar Patel pulling out from the joint art show, she added, “Her name was never pulled out. Her painting was always a part of the show.” Anar is the founder and managing trustee of an NGO — Gramshree — that works for the underprivileged women in the city.

While unsold paintings and sculptures included works of some well-known Ahmedabad-based artists like Haku Shah’s Mansha, Karl Antao’s Strength Of Truth, Deviba Wala’s Prying Eyes, Esther David’s Sea-Me and Ratilal Kansodaria’s Power For Protection among others, artworks by Anar Patel, IT entrepreneur Ruzan Khambatta, lawyer Prakash Thakkar and wife Vrinda, restaurateur Pradeep Chona and wife Rekha and others were sold for higher than the base price set by them at the auction.

The most sought-after paintings at the auction were by restaurateur Pradeep Chona and his wife Rekha titled Bonding and lawyer Prakash Thakkar and wife Vrinda’s Conquest that had a base price of Rs 25,000 and Rs 11,000 respectively. They were sold for Rs 85,000 and Rs 50,000, respectively.

Artist Vrindavan Solanki’s painting Desh Pe Charcha that touched upon the recent general elections was sold at the highest price at the auction for Rs 3.1 lakh (base price 2.75 lakh). Two other paintings that fetched more than a lakh at the auctions were those belonging to Amit Ambalal at Rs 1,04,000 (Rs 85,000) and Nabibaksh Mansoori Rs 1.25 lakh (Rs 1.2lakh ). The CMD of Waghbakri and philanthropist Piyush Desai bought six paintings at the auction.